


Twelve Weeks Later

by impossiblepluto



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-25 14:49:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14979464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impossiblepluto/pseuds/impossiblepluto
Summary: Mac's POV from katikat's wonderful story "Three Months Later" a sequel to "The Stuff that Kills You," and a continuation of episode 2.17





	Twelve Weeks Later

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Three Months Later](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14941404) by [katikat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/katikat/pseuds/katikat). 



> Katikat did all the heavy lifting with her stories and graciously allowed me to share this when I accidentally wrote Mac's POV and his follow up appointment.

It could barely be called dawn. The eastern horizon was slightly lighter than blackest night, but Los Angeles should still be asleep. And the rest of LA was.

Mac turned onto his back, rubbed a hand through his hair before sliding it behind his head. He stared up at the ceiling. He had been able to mostly ignore the upcoming three month appointment. It was far enough in the future that he could forget about it. Or at least pretend to forget about it. This last week in the desert had been a blessing in disguise, too busy, too hot, too worried about keeping the rest of the team safe and getting home to worry about a doctor's appointment.

It had hit him on the flight home, and hadn't let up since. He tried not to worry about it, but it had distracted him the rest of the flight and all during the debriefing. The rest of his team seemed to chalk it up to the exhaustion of the last week catching up with him and he let them.

Then he asked Matty for the day off, and he saw the moment Jack realized the date. There was a look in his eye that haunted Mac since Jack had found out. A look that Jack had tried very hard to keep hidden over the last three months, but there were days it flashed across his face when he thought Mac wasn't paying attention. The day after Jack stayed up all night reading about radiation poisoning. The day Mac tinkered in the lab and Jack hung out with him all day, quietly watching with very few of his usual snarky comments. The day after a mission they barely survived, did he bring Mac home just to lose him to radiation in the future? It bothered Mac to see Jack scared. Jack worried; Jack mother-henned; Jack very vocally complained about putting Mac in danger, but seeing Jack actually scared, it scared Mac too. And in response Mac maintained a carefully constructed mask of almost indifference regarding his possible exposure. Which, of course, Jack saw through.

Which was why Jack had come over last night after the debriefing, bringing Chinese food and challenging Mac to a game of hoops. An effort to keep them both distracted. They very pointedly didn't discuss the next day.

It was a hard fought victory but Mac won. Jack protested. Mac called Jack an old man. Jack told Mac he could still whoop his ass. They bickered. They lit a fire, had a beer. It distracted Mac from everything else. Jack knew what he was doing. It was so normal, until Jack was leaving.

"What time is your appointment?"

Mac pretended he had to think about it, but he was acutely aware. "Ten."

"Aright, I'll pick you up."

"You don't have to." Mac said in a token protest, but felt relieved that Jack remembered his promise from months before to be there.

"You shouldn't have to do it alone."

"It's just a check up."

"Yeah, well your track record on showing up for a check up isn't great, hoss."

"I did make these appointments myself, and I took the day off."

"Well, I got the day off too. I'll keep you company, take you to lunch. I'll even hold your hand when they draw blood."

"You're not going in with me." Mac said, not amused.

Jack waved it off. "Like I told you months ago, I'll be there. Whatever happens you're not doing this alone."

Mac half smiled to himself remembering the conversation from the night before. Jack had once described his job as to keep Mac from thinking too much. That's what he did. He kept Mac from getting lost in his own brain, kept him focused and centered and from getting caught up in the theoretical. And Mac missed that calming presence when Jack wasn't around. He almost snorted. Not many people would call Jack's presence calming, but it quieted his brain when it got too loud and Mac was grateful Jack would be with him as he faced today.

Sleep eluded him. He laid quietly, trying not to get lost in his brain, watching faint tendrils of gold and scarlet peak over the horizon. He felt every second tick by before deciding sleep was a lost cause.

 

* * *

 

"I mean it Jack, you're not going in with me." Mac said. They sat in the empty waiting room. "You don't have to sit here and wait. I'll find you when I'm done."

"Alright, calm down, you're gonna get your blood pressure all elevated and shit." Jack said. "I know, you’re capable of taking care of yourself, but waiting rooms are the worst. Might as well accept the company."

Mac had to admit, even if it was just to himself, having Jack here now kept him grounded. And he was grateful that Jack was Jack. He saw through Mac's façade and planted himself at Mac's side, just as he had since Afghanistan.

A door opened.

"Mac?" The nurse called.

Mac felt the world slow down. He stood slowly.

"I'll be in the cafeteria, when you're finished, kiddo."

Mac nodded and swallowed. He had a passing thought to run away, or to ask Jack to stay, but he turned and followed the nurse through the doorway.

The nurse directed Mac down the hallway and into a small exam room where she efficiently took his blood pressure, pulse and temperature, making notes in his chart and keeping running relaxed small talk going which Mac found he was surprisingly grateful for. She pulled out several empty vials, explaining "I know we're anxious to get the lab results, so Dr. Smith already wrote those orders. Kind of tight" she warned as she tied a tourniquet around his bicep. She swabbed crook of his elbow and skillfully inserted the needle.

Mac watched as she filled multiple vials. "Planning to leave any for me?"

"I promise I won't bleed you dry." She replied good-naturedly as if that was the first time she'd heard the joke. She finished up, then handed Mac a hospital gown. "You can go ahead and get changed into this. Doctor Smith will be down in a few minutes." She pulled the curtain and shut the door firmly and once again Mac was alone with his thoughts.

It felt like hours but a glance at the clock showed that it really was only a few minutes when a knock sounded at the door.

"Hey Mac," Dr. Smith greeted. "How are you doing?"

"Ready for this to be over," Mac confessed.

"Well, hop up on the table, lets make that happen." Dr. Smith busied himself looking at the notes in Mac's file while Mac situated himself on the exam table. "Vitals look good. We'll just look you over head to toe and make sure there aren't any changes to be concerned about. Radiation is most likely to affect areas with rapid cellular reproduction, so digestive tract, mucous membranes, skin. Any sores that aren't healing anywhere?" He asked walking over to the table.

"No," Mac replied

"Let's take a look in your mouth." Mac obediently opened up wide as Dr. Smith peered in with a penlight and tongue depressor, looking at his throat, checking his inside cheeks and under his tongue. "Looks fine, nothing inflamed, no sores."

He started to walk around behind Mac explaining as his went. His military background and experiences with the Phoenix made him acutely aware that his patients weren't the type to do well with surprises and he let them know exactly what he was doing before he did it.

"I'm going to check your thyroid," he said, his hands coming to rest on Mac's neck. "And swallow please." He palpated under Mac's jaw line and down his neck feeling for any unusual lumps or bumps or lymph node enlargement.

"Any shortness of breath or dizziness?" Dr. Smith asked as he pulled his stethoscope from around his neck.

"No, I've been fine."

"A couple of deep breaths for me, in and out." He said, listening intently, first up and down Mac's back and then, moving around to listen to his chest. Then lower to listen to Mac's abdomen. Then he assisted Mac to lay back on the table, and lowered the hospital gown to reveal Mac's chest and abdomen, and inspected his skin. Then he carefully palpated Mac's abdomen.

"Any nausea, vomiting or cramping?"

"No."

"How's your appetite?" 

Mac hesitated. His lean physique and tendency to forget to eat had followed him for years. It was something that he and Dr. Smith clashed over in the past. "It hasn't changed in the last 3 months."

"You know that I'd like to see you put on a few pounds, but that's all I'll say on it now. The digestive tract is highly susceptible to radiation. Odds are that decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting would be some of the first symptoms you notice."

Dr. Smith continued his exam, asking questions as needed. Mac was feeling overwhelmed, as if for the first time in his life he brain couldn't keep up.

He was relieved when Dr. Smith finally dropped to sit on a rolling stool. "I'm not finding anything that raises a concern, and you've said you've been symptom free. We'll wait for the lab results. That will let us know what's happening on a cellular level."

Mac nodded rubbing his hands on his knees. "What am I looking at, long term?"

"Honestly Mac, you ask ten different doctors, you're going to get ten different answers. You're young and healthy, and right now that's a good thing. But you've got a lot of life left, and a lot of time for something to crop down the road. We don't know what you were exposed to, or how much. You've had no signs or symptoms of radiation poisoning and that's good, but there can be latent exposure or chronic radiation poisoning that comes up months or years later. I don't want you worrying too much about this but I want you aware. I want you to keep me informed. And I'm going to want to see you every three months to repeat labs and a physical, sooner if you have any symptoms. And I mean that Mac. I'll get Dalton involved if I have to."

Mac opened his mouth in protest. "I'm capable of managing follow up appointments without Jack's help."

"I've seen the after effects of some of your exploits, and I've heard about the ways you've saved the world from destruction. Jack is good at helping your remember that your life is important too."

Mac frowned.

"I know you can't control what comes up on a mission. It might be wise to make a recommendation to Matty and Oversight to keep you away from missions where you'd risk additional exposure." Dr. Smith raised as eyebrow.

Mac narrowed his eyes recognizing the challenge, follow orders or the doc would go over his head. "I will follow up as ordered. I'll keep you and Jack up to date. And I'll stay away from radiation, but as this doesn't affect my job at the moment I'd prefer to keep this between us. I don't really want anyone else worrying about it."

Dr. Smith nodded. "Get dressed and go collect Dalton from wherever he's waiting for you. I'll call you as soon as I have the results."

 

* * *

 

 

Mac was just relieved that it was done. He paused at the doorway of the cafeteria. Jack was at the window, staring at the parking lot, but his mind was a million miles away. Or rather, his mind was back in the exam room Mac just left. He could see the stiffness in Jack's shoulders. The way the worry had taken root. The news they get today, well it's either going to shake up their world, or it'll be a reprieve, for three months.

Mac was so _relieved_ when Jack found out. Going to that first appointment alone was the hardest thing he'd ever done. He wanted to tell Jack, he really did, but he didn't know how.

_'hey Jack, remember that mission to Chernobyl? Well, I was probably exposed to nuclear waste and might get radiation poisoning or maybe cancer.'_

When Jack walked in the door that day, the day of his appointment and told Mac he knew, it was like a weight was lifted. He'd already gotten the results but knew he'd have to do it all over again in three months. He was glad that he wouldn't have to do it alone.

And now as he stared at Jack he realized what Jack had signed himself up for, to go through this worry and fear with him every three months. To worry any time Mac had an ache or didn't feel like eating, if that was the first sign of something more sinister.

They ate a quiet lunch in companionable quiet. The kind of quiet that is warm and comfortable and came from years of living in each other's pockets.

After they took a drive after and Mac found himself drifting, a full belly, warm breeze, the lull of the car motor and safety of Jack's presence allowed him to catch up on sleep he missed the night before. The phone buzzed, stirring Mac from his rest. His heart hammered, he swallowed, his voice hoarse when he told Jack it’s the doc. If asked he wouldn't be able to remember the phone call, except that he was clear. He hadn't expected to feel such profound relief.

As Jack pulled the car back onto the road he tried to tell Mac that he had known all along there was nothing to worry about. Mac shook his head. They both knew better.

"So, we're good for three months?" Jack asked.

"Yeah," Mac blew out a sigh of relief.

"I'll be there, brother, whatever comes, I'll always be there."


End file.
